I know I had big plans for something like this a while back but never followed through with them. That is pretty much because creating a living document about PC parts was and still is a very bad idea. So instead of re-inventing the wheel I thought that we could share with each other some sites we think are good for expanding practical knowledge about computer hardware, especially in regards to guiding a complete novice through their first computer purchase.

In about a week or so I'll compile them and put them up here in the first post, as well as removing the quote & putting my links in-line with the rest. Hopefully between us we can come up with a decent info repository.

http://forums.overclockers.com.au is the forums for the above news site, and is a very good forum for Australian overclocking enthusiasts. As such, sometimes it can be a decent resource for what is a good value part and what is coming up hardware-wise in the near future.

Mockery

If you're tired of your CPU or other fans sounding like jet engines, http://www.silentpcreview.comThese guys know alot about cooling and other stuff too, just most of them are fanatical about noise reduction...

Roots

Just a little tip for every one who is new, and even some of the vet's of pc repair don't do this. [also it doesn't fall under posting links :p but I thought some people would like to know this stuff!]

DISCAHRGE BE FOR YOU TOUCH ANYTHING! I don't know how manny ram chips I have seen wasted because some one didn't ground them selfs... A grounding strap helps too, kind of like a roach clips with with a wire comeing off it that hooks on a strap you can wear on your wrist, you clip it to the case. If you don't happen to have one, touching the case is better then nothing.

I have to say nothing worse then getting home your brand spanking new parts, then you go to install them and in the process you fry them from static shock.

Also make sure the power suply is off, unpluged, and discharged as well, I know with some of the btx mobo's they have a led that lets you know if there is some current going thew the mobo

Another good tip I can say is, when it come to trouble shooting, do what you think would be the stupidest fix first [ie the pc will not turn on, make sure it is plugged in!]

Anyhow some people may be like "Oh that is just too stupid.... Everyone should know that!" Well some people may not be the supper tech god you are I am just trying to help with a few basics... Plus no one likes getting zaped from a power suply... I have had it happen, not fun my arm was numb for an hour and I was the laughing stock of the lan party.

With Pricewatch you can't be stupid and trust every website out there. Actually contact them and get some info from the dealers and decide if their legit or not. They're fakes. If you don't want to handle that type of stuff, their other places. Dell, newegg(I hate newegg), ect.

Really? I like Newegg. I just bought a floppy drive and a GeForce 6600 from them and I am loving both. I've bought from them before, and aside from shipping issues (actually UPS' fault) I been satsfied with every purchase.

alexalexalex

www.overclockers.co.uk - Based in Stoke-on-Trent. I got to talking with them at a LAN party a couple of months ago, and they know their stuff.

I used to shop on overclockers religiously, but then I figured out that http://www.ebuyer.com is cheaper and they actually tell you how much delivery is going to cost. Now I compare prices on both sites before buying anything, but ebuyer nearly always wins!

GileX

I dont like umart, they have bad customer service. I am also good for anyone in sydney area who wants to build a computer as i have built many so far and to dennis i ment a 7950GT, my fingers refuse most commands i give them.

I dont like umart, they have bad customer service. I am also good for anyone in sydney area who wants to build a computer as i have built many so far and to dennis i ment a 7950GT, my fingers refuse most commands i give them.

wow. the 7950 for under $300 before the 8xxx series came out is an incredible deal.

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GileX

Your'e telling me, i almost creamed in my pants when i saw it, thats why i'm the proud owner of an ASUS 7950GT. My work mate got an 8800GTX in to market it and he let me test it before he sent it out, it was like "F.E.A.R? psshhh can't you find a harder game". Plus it almost didnt fit in the damn case, that thing is HUGE

Crossfire is only necessary for huge resolutions: if you play anything below 1600x1200, you won't need two cards. I'd also be careful when selecting cards in CrossFire, specifically in the 1900-series family, because the clock-speed on a single Crossfire-compatible card is lower than its non-compatible brethren.

Dymo

Pricewatch has never done me wrong. To the person who said Newegg is a ripoff, ide like to see facts, because most of the time, the lowest prices pricewatch grabs are directly from newegg, sometimes tigerdirect, and abit of random websites. Newegg has awesome customer service and great shipping prices/times.

Tech spot is an awesome rescource for almost anything electronics related. Awesome forums and help guides.

BatouKyo

If you're tired of your CPU or other fans sounding like jet engines, www.silentpcreview.comThese guys know alot about cooling and other stuff too, just most of them are fanatical about noise reduction...

Haha... how ironic, I have the loudest small end fan there is. Vantec tornado, 65dbs put out in a 92mm fan that moves 131cfm. I love it each and every day that its on... simply because i know the fact that there is no overheating in my processor.

I laugh at those who denounce newegg.com.... pricewatch.com proves how awesome the prices are there.

Oh, and if this hasnt been mentioned before.... www.ocforums.com is the utmost place to look. taught me everything I know and has really helpful people. a few weeks reading this is a great way to learn about computers.

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Scytale

Hey I'm looking to set up a new server at home, It'll be hosting MYSQL and Apache, it will be basically a test box for any development I'm doing. I may also host a lame personal homepage on it if I can be bothered.

I thought I'd ask for advice on what sort of hadware I should buy, being a server it'll be running headless without mouse keyboard, monitor etc, adminning it via ssh/VNC it'll also be running Linux, haven't decided which distro yet, maybe CENTOS, maybe Debian, main thing I want is to keep the price down.

I was looking at getting one of those motherboards with integrated everything, graphics, network etc. I was thinking about 1 gb of ram (probably overkill for what I'm using it for but...)

Anyway I'm after advice on what mother board, what processesor (prefrence would be Intel, but don't mind AMD) and what ram setup (I'm not that familiar with single vs dual channel etc).

I'm seriously considering building a brand spanking new computer once I've got the funds to replace the lumbering dinosaur I've got now. Only problem is I know sweet bugger all about computers. Basically, I know crap all about what good processors, graphics card or whatever are. The links in this thread have changed that a bit, thankfully.

Have you checked out the Ars Technica System Guides? The latest update was just this month, so everything there should be up-to-date, in terms of hardware trends. They've got several different DIY systems: The Budget Box (for when it absolutely positively has to be there on a budget of $800), the Hot Rod (juiced up for gaming, but within reason), and the God Box (for when you're putting it all on the company credit card).

I hand-built my computer two years ago based on their Hot Rod specs at the time, and it still plays all the best games.

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karbin

Not sure if it's appropriate to put this here, but I co-run a small relatively new website to help people build computers. We have a basic guide to system parts, budget builds(computers for under 150), highlight current good deals and so forth.

There's nothing wrong with newegg. They may not always have the lowest price on something, but frankly, that's true of every hardeware retail site I've encountered. Between rebates and constantly fluctuating prices, you're bound to save some pennies by always comparison shopping, especially with video cards. Heck, I managed to buy a Radeon 1950XT late last year for $200 from Newegg after rebates; that was hardly more expensive than the 1950Pro on offer (I think the pro was $190 at the time), despite being the superior card. About a month later I was hearing on forums that so many gamers made a run on the PRO due to it's status as an excellent budget card that apparently nobody felt the need to offer much in the way of rebates or sales on the PRO any more. Moral of the story: Worrying too much about saving money can drive people crazy and buzz doesn't always reflect reality. All you can really do is check out the actual prices on as many sites as is reasonable and stick to your budget.

« Last Edit: 11 Oct 2007, 12:54 by Whipstitch »

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the ship has Dr. Pepper but not Mr. Pibb; it's an absolute goddamned travesty

OstermanA

1:Open up the run dialog to open up msconfig, then streamline your startup list. A good resource for what each item is would be Bleeping Computer.

2:Use the run dialog to open up 'services.msc', then optimize your services. For those of you who have never looked at the services list and are running XP Pro SP2, open it up, NOW, and disable the 'Remote Registry' service. It does exactly what it sounds like. Resource: The Elder Geek. Actually, The Elder Geek is a pretty good all around website, though I don't spend much time there.

3:Download and install TweakUI. It gives you access to a whole lot of options that you can't really get to otherwise. Incredibly useful tool.

For all you Linux people out there, I have yet to find a website more useful than LinuxQuestions. A close second for Fedora users would be mjm wired.

As far as hardware goes, I'm kinda partial to Firing Squad. I know there are probably better places, but I've been going there for years, so it's kinda a habit. Meh.

so I spilled beer on my keyboard and now the spacebar won't work. At the moment I'm using some old keyboard of my roommate's while trying to type a paper and I keep mistyping everything because It's unfamiliar. So, anyone have a recommendation for a relatively cheap (maybe 20-30 bucks or so) keyboard that doesn't suck ass? I had the Logitech Elite keyboard, which I really liked, so something similar with all the multimedia buttons and such would be ideal.

I have a Microsoft something or other I got for 32 bucks. Types quiet, volume controles, etc, etc. It even has a calculator button. I love it. Of all the parts in my new computer (AMD FX-74, 7900GS), this is my favorite part.

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